The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) is a charity that connects people and green spaces to deliver lasting outcomes for both.
In 2022:
The Conservation Volunteers' (TCV) strategy - For people and green spaces: a thriving network for everyone - contains three strategy goals, one of which is dedicated to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI):
TCV Strategic Goal 3 - We will support more diverse audiences to connect with green spaces. Everyone deserves to have nature in their lives. We will create safe, welcoming spaces for people who face barriers to accessing green space, especially those who could benefit most, and make our activities relevant and accessible for communities in which we work.
Our Goal 3 lead is our Head of People Services who chairs our EDI subgroup and regularly reports progress to TCV's Leadership Team and Board of Trustees.
We are working in partnership with the Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion (enei), a not-for-profit organisation that helps employers build and maintain diverse teams and inclusive cultures. TCV commissioned ENEI to complete a diversity and inclusion audit to identify gaps in our practice and include short-, medium- and longer-term recommendations. Using these recommendations, we have:
1) Formed and supported our EDI subgroup
The EDI subgroup has members of staff, self-selecting from across the UK, with lived experience and direct delivery responsibility. We hold monthly meetings that focus on practice sharing, focussed on specific groups, for example asylum seekers, LGBTQ+ and People of Colour (POC), creating a safe space to learn and develop our EDI plan. Engagement is good with evidence of open and honest dialogue and increased understanding.
2) Developed our EDI action plan
An EDI action plan has been produced based on the recommendations from the enei audit and including a focus on leadership and accountability, communication and engagement, and improved data collection. The plan also brings together our commitment to allied initiatives like DSI and the Wildlife and Countryside Link Route Map.
3) Data
We have improved our data collection using a digital format for volunteer EDI information. We have also included EDI questions in our annual employee staff survey.
4) Training
enei have provided 2 online Anti Racism training sessions reaching 60 TCV employees.
5) Campaigns
We have actively developed campaigns and toolkits linked to Pride, Black History Month and Disability Awareness.
6) Communication
We have shared practice examples from across our teams and communicated the learning from these to TCV colleagues including a presentation to our Board of Trustees.
In 2023:
1) We will support the development of our EDI subgroup, consolidate the progress we have made, and develop the members to become EDI champions.
2) We will work to understand more about the data we have collected and its implications, and the impact of our improved communications, and share practice and learning to build confidence across TCV.
3) We will continue to work with ENEI to implement and track the progress we are making against the recommendations and our EDI action plan.
4) We will deliver more specific EDI training sessions supported by ENEI. We have plans to begin 2023 with a focus on Neuro diversity as this was identified as a priority need via staff feedback.
5) We will build on our existing projects to ensure each TCV region/nation has a project with a specific EDI focus.
6) We will increasingly engage with our Board of Trustees ensuring they have opportunities to see Goal 3 in action and understand their role in enabling TCV to achieve our shared ambitions.